castell del rei

[arturo22]

been awhile since we were out but will be there soon (october)
is the route open again ? if so any info re obtaining permission/permits please

[arturo22]

just got a response from tourist office

The Ternelles path is open and can be done by free guided tour. The website where you can have more information, check availability and ask for a permi is https://www.visitaguiadaternelles.com/1/info/en/

[Rockape]

Just reading the blurb, it seems to involve a walk of over a mile to get to the start and then another walk over ten miles, before another mile to get back to your car. Seems quite a considerable distance, taking the slopes, surface and potential temperatures into account?

[bobley]

Its a fair old treck. I did it back in october 2018 with a very determined but very poorly Mrs Bobley who just wanted to see the Castle just once. She'd walked almost everywhere else so she wasn't going to miss this bit.

We parked the car in a little layby about 850m away from the gate and wandered up to meet. There was a mixed crowd ranging from early retirees to families with kids c. 12y.o.

The walk was very gentle and we stopped a lot for the guide to explain about the wildlife and the how important it was to protect the vultures at the castle as they are endangered species. At this point someone none english would ask whether we would be going to the castle and the guide would say "I'm afraid not...".

We would travel on under tree cover until we got to the valley and the guide gave us all binoculars and told us to look up here at this bird and over there at that thing which was fascinating and then the next none english couple would ask "when would we get the to castle" and the guide would remark again that we weren't going to the castle" and you could see the colour of his face change colour ever so slightly.

Once the castle was in view we would repeat the same loop of question and answers and we'd trot on until we got to the end of the valley and were looking down at Cala Castell. We'd stop for lunch at this point and folks chattered amongst themselves and the guide would talk to folks about birds if they asked nicely.

Then, we set off back home... but there was one last chance for a French couple to ask about the castle.... the guide just... held it together but you could see he was on the verge of going full on Basil Fawlty. It was good entertainment. About 5 hrs? 10 miles of slow walking, but you dont rush it

Anyway, today, things have changed and allegedly (acc to the Majorca Daily Rag) you can get to the castle!! So I might give it another shot... but I'll go up to the gate on my bike so save a bit of a walk!!

https://www.visitaguiadaternelles.com/

[Rockape]

I did it two weeks ago. As Bobley says, its an uphill amble for the first half, stopping to admire flora and fauna and hopefully the Black Vultures circling above. We saw Red Kites, Booted Eagles, Ravens, Kestrels and Black Vultures. I took some good pics along the way, but forgotten how to post them. It was about 4.5hrs there and back for us in the company of three English 'Birders' who provided some interesting info and chat. (they all lived in Mallorca.)

Edit: you can't get to the Castle!

[bobley]

Ah, I stand corrected, its gone all political - what a surprise!

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com...ing-story.html

[Rockape]

Originally Posted by bobley

Ah, I stand corrected, its gone all political - what a surprise!

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com...ing-story.html

Yes, so it seems....its definitely a shame that you can't walk up to the rocky castle, as it looks amazing from afar. Quite a history to it. You also can't walk down to the cove, because there are Egyptian Vulture nesting on the route apparently! We didn't see them.

The other thing was, that a lot is made of the Roman Bridge in Pollensa, but no mention of the one en route to the entrance, which is pretty much identical. Obviously another place the powers that be, don't want the hoi polloi to visit.

[bobley]

We should write a book. "Short slightly frustrating walks around Pollenca - the places you can go and be grumbled at. "

Paths either go nowhere or are so badly maintained or blocked that you can't use them...

[Rockape]

Originally Posted by bobley

We should write a book. "Short slightly frustrating walks around Pollenca - the places you can go and be grumbled at. "

Paths either go nowhere or are so badly maintained or blocked that you can't use them...

Good idea, but not sure we'd sell very many!